Grant Life Cycle 

Fact SheetFact Sheet 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) non-disaster grant programs are managed by the Grant 
Programs Directorate (GPD). Within GPD, the Grant Development & Administration (GD&A) Division manages the 
programmatic functions for its preparedness programs, while the Grant Management Division (GMD) supports financial 
grant management for all FEMA grant programs. Together, they manage the full grant lifecycle. Internal and external 
stakeholder engagement occurs throughout the lifecycle to support transparency throughout the process. This input, 
along with findings from program implementation and evaluation, drive future program development. There are five 
phases of the grant lifecycle, which include the following: 

 

Phase 1: Program Development and Eligibility Determinations. During this phase, the program office develops 
guidance to effectively communicate to applicants the program purpose, priorities and requirements related to 
implementation. Once congressional guidance is finalized, the program development phase accelerates. Included in this 
phase is the determination of eligible applicants for risk-based programs. The Department must publicly identify the 
candidates eligible to apply for funds. For some programs such as the Urban Areas Security Initiative, Transit Security 
Grant Program and the Buffer Zone Protection Program, the Department determines eligibility on risk-based criteria. 

 

Phase 2: Application Submission and Review. Once program guidance and application requirements are released 
publicly, eligible applicants can submit applications for funding. The Department relies primarily on the grants.gov web 
site to receive applications. Some programs – such as the Emergency Management Performance Grant Program – have 
formula-based allocations and do not require competitive review. The application release and review period are 
determined through the appropriations process. 

 

Phase 3: Allocations and Award Processing. Department leadership makes the final determination on allocations 
under the competitive programs. These decisions may involve input from both the application review process and risk 
analyses. Upon review and approval of the allocations, final funding amounts may be publicly announced to applicants. 
At that point, the program office can begin the process by which funds are awarded to the grantee. This grant award 
process involves action by several components (e.g., program staff, grant operations, budget and legislative affairs). 

 

Phase 4: Program Implementation. Grantees spend the grant award in accordance with the allowable activities scoped 
in the program guidance. They submit quarterly financial reports and semi-annual progress reports on implementation. 
Periods of performance typically range from two to three years, depending on the program. 

 

Phase 5: Evaluation. Evaluation is conducted throughout the entire grant cycle. Data and trend analysis of grant 
reporting and monitoring input is completed annually. Feedback is also obtained on development, application review 
and allocations from federal, state, local, and private partners through a formal after-action process. Several other 
meetings and conferences are held throughout the year to gain stakeholder feedback on all phases of the grant process. 

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work 
together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, 
recover from, and mitigate all hazards.